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ALBERT J. STEE LE, l0F NEW' YORK, N. Y.

Lesers Para No. 73,207, dared January 7, 186s.

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TO ALLWHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, A. J. STEELE, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and improved Uterine Electrode and AbdominalSupporter; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the art to makeand use the same, refer# ence being had to theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specication, in which- Figure1 is a perspective view of the electrode attached to the supporter. i

Figure 2 is a detail view of the manner of securing the electrode inplace. Figures 3, 4, and 5 are forms of electrodes. Similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to the applica-tion of electricityT to theu'terus 'and vagina when these organs are in diiferent pathologicalconditions.

It consists of insulated wires bent in suitable shapes, audcovered withsponge or other equivalent sub-` stance, for providing a medium ofconduction from the insulated wire to the diseased part.

The diierent forms of the electrode are shown, each having specialadvantages in different conditions of the uterus or vagina, but theprinciple of my invention is common to all, which is the construction ofa wire or conductor'of electricity, bent into certain forms, andinsulated with hard rubber, gutta percha, or other suitable material.These forms are then covered with sponge, or other soft absorbentsubstance, and one or more small holes are made in theinsulating-sheath, at that part of the electrode which is injuxtaposition with the part of the vagina or uterus that is diseased.The electrode is connected with one pole of a battery or electromagneticmachine, and a current of electricity passed through the wire form, thepatient grasping the other pole of the battery.

` An abdominal belt, A, of any suitable fabric, is made in two parts,the said parts being united by lacing strings, as shown at a a. Flaps bprevent the cords from irritating the skin beneath. Attached to the beltis a strap, B, the posterior attachment of this strap being elasticstraps c c c, and the anterior attachment being a buckle, E, as shown infigs. 1 and 2. This strap is attached at the lower" middle edges of thetwo parts of the belt A, and passes between the legs when in place.v Aplate, D, of horn, hard rubber, or other suitable non-conductingmaterial, is secured to the inner surface of the strap B, and this plateis provided with a num` ber of slots, d d for inserting the looped endof the electrode,- as shown at iig. 2. A small clasp-hook, e, then ishooked into'the said looped end, and Vconnected with the battery ormachine. The electrode shown at g. 3 is designed for applying theelectricity to the anterior and posterior sides of the uterus, and isprovided with a bifnrcating stem, ff, a ring, g, cross-pieces, 7L, 'anda loop, j, for attaching the electrode to the plate D. That shown atfig. 4, for applying the electricity to the neck of the' uterus, hasstems ff and ring g. In these electrodes the supporting-stems, the ringsfor contactwith the diseased organ, the cross-pieces for similar object,and the loop j, are of any conducting-wire, bent and soldered in theseforms. In figs. 3 and 4, a removed section,'k, shows the wire and itsinsulating-sheath. Fig. 5 is a simpler form of electrode, constructed onthe same principle as the pthers.

When applied, the spongccovering of the .electrode is moistened withwater, thus rendering the same a conductor, and the electrode connectedwith battery. If the organ requires treatment at its anterior or poste`rior sides, or both, the electrode at iig. 3 is to be used, theinsulating-sheath having been tapped or punctured accordingly by thepractitioner, at the cross-pieces 7L z'.` If the neck ofthe uterus orthevagina requires treatment, the-rings g or g', or stemsff, are tapped inone or more places, as shown by the dots n, n, u, n', n nn.

The belt A can be used as an abdominal supporter,with or without theelectrode attachments. The straps @provide a yieldingl tension to thestrap B, whereby the wearer can sit down without being in the slightestdegree incommoded by the presence of the electrode when in place. Theskeleton of these electrodes being of wire, can be easily bent by thepatient or practitioner in such forms as may be found best whenadjusting the same.

In addition to the advantages already mentioned, this method of applyingelectricity to the diseased organ is so simple that the electrodes canbe used by the patient after a few precepts, thus avoiding theindelicacy of personal application by the practitioner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure byLettcrs Patent, isv

l. Wireelectrodes, insulated and covered with sponge, substantially ,asshown, and for the purpose specified.

2. The strap B, for sustaining the electrode in place, substantially as1shown and for the purpose specified.

3. The form of electrode having a ring, g', and stemsff attachedthereto, substantially as shown and for the purpose specified.v

4. The form of electrode having the ring g and crosspieces h 7L,substantially as 'shown and for the purpose specified. l

5. The form of electrode having a single stem,f, and cross-piece h',substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

' 6.`Elastic `straps c ',in combination with the strap B, substantiallyas and for the purpose shown and described.

7. The abdominal belt A, in combination with the above-describedelectrodes, substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.

8. The non-conducting plate D, in combination with the wire electrodes,as hereinafter described, substanf.

tially as shown and for the purpose specified.-

ALBERT J. STEELE.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MGNAMARA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

